The Beginning at the End of the World
by lucidapricity
Summary: When she had been a little girl, Petra wanted to know what the ocean looked like. She wanted to touch it, to rinse the blood that lingered and stained her hands. Petra ran forward, kicking off her boots and pulling up her pants until she met the water. She seemed so happy. The look she wore was what he imagined to be that of what a bride on the day of her wedding. Rivetra.
1. Prologue

Prologue: In Her Dreams

* * *

When she had been a little girl, her mother had told her many tales and fantasy of wonderful heroes and princes and princesses. And while Petra had been entertained by these sugary fairy tales and their tones of bravery, more than anything she loved hearing of lands so distant, so different than the one she knew. Petra wanted to know what the ocean looked like. Sometimes she dreamed of its beautiful aquamarine waters and the smell of salt that wafted as sea mist. She wanted to touch it, to bathe herself in its cleansing waters. Then maybe she would be able to finally rinse the blood that lingered and stained her hands.

She imagined and dreamed of seeing those sparkling azure waters just like in one of those stories her mother would tell her each night. She yearned for them, just as a certain conqueror had in his own dreams. They had each made sacrifices to see what the rest of mankind could not, and Petra would not take that for granted. If only she could make it there herself and see it with her own eyes. Then she could die happily.


	2. Will You Be Mine at the End of the World

Chapter 1: Will You Be Mine at the End of the World?

* * *

He stared up at a crimson sky. It seemed oddly reminiscent of all the blood that had been needlessly spilled throughout the war. He felt as if his body was on fire and it was being burned from the inside out, like he would soon be incinerated and turned to ash so that there was no trace of him remaining. Nothing left to remember. They were all simply mortals with meaningless names and equally meaningless lives.

Levi could hear several voices calling out for him with hoarse and bloodied throats. He heard them rush towards him, the pounding of feet and the clanking of metal as he felt his hot, molten lifeforce flow out of him. Why did they even bother calling him a hero? He was but an ordinary man, a thug who only knew how to kill and spill blood whose shoulders they had placed all their hopes and fears upon. There was only one person he wished to have at his side in this moment, someone who saw him not as a hero, but for his mortality.

 _Petra_ …

" _Captain_!" A female's shriek rang out, cutting through the air. Someone was running, no stumbling towards him. They instantly fell to their knees beside him, pressing their small hands to his chest.

"Captain Levi!"

"Levi!"

A chorus of voices chimed out, all in anguish and fear. The rest of the voices he heard were drowned out by the pounding in his head and the red haze that clouded his vision until he felt his eyes slide closed. He was dying, he knew that. But he also knew that it was well past his time. He should've died long ago alongside his friends so many years ago. So many times he had wished for the sweet embrace of death, for surely it was better than living in this hell on earth.

"T-there's so much blood…"  
"Somebody! We need a medic!"

Levi's eyes rolled back into his head as he felt a coldness sweep over him. This was it, the end of the world as he laid, dying out on the rugged battlefield. He had made it so far and yet this was how he would die. What would _she_ think when she saw his broken body? The body of her revered captain, superior officer, lover, surrounded by a pool of blood. Would she live on without him or was she also gone away from this hell? What would her life like without him? Would she find someone else to marry, to settle down with? Would she even remember him years later? Levi dreaded the future, even now when he had none.

Darkness descended upon him, darker than when he just closed his eyes for a restless sleep. He could consciously hear his heartbeat, slowing with every passing second. He found it hard to breath and he felt something hot and thick dribble down his lips. In the darkest depths of his awareness, Levi swore he saw a vision of Petra. Petra, the soldier that had always held a tender spot in her heart for him. _His Petra_ , bare and lying in his bed, hair tousled and her lips cherry red. Then he saw a set of images of moments not meant to be; Petra in a white dress, a bouquet of flowers clutched in her delicate, uncalloused hands; Petra, round with child and glowing, her radiance even more stunning than before. Petra, herding a couple of children with his raven hair and her amber eyes, or possibly her golden hair with his onyx eyes. The images made him feel a stabbing feeling in his chest, a lasting ache that would stay with him forever. If only he could see her only last time, even if it was just to caress her face.

Levi was jolted back to consciousness by a sharp crack that rattled his entire body. He opened his eyes only to stare back up at that same crimson sky. He felt a tightness around his body and suddenly something warm latched onto his hand. He turned his head as quickly as possible only to gaze directly into a pair of round amber eyes. Blinking away the bleariness that obstructed hung over him, Levi's breath caught as he took in the hazy vision of Petra. Petra's hand clutched at his sleeve, her eyes pleading.

"Do you remember anything?" she choked out. He now noticed the tears in her red eyes.

"What happened?" he croaked, grimacing at the taste of blood in his throat. Petra let out a broken yet bright laugh, wincing as she tried to roll onto her side. Levi then realized that they were moving. They were on a moving cart. A trail of dust was kicked up behind them, clouding the passing landscape.

"Levi, y-you almost died. I luckily was able to reach you in time to stop the bleeding, but it was s-so close. You were so close to _dying_ , Captain." Petra's eyes now welled with tears, threatening to burst from her lashes. Levi noticed how her breathing frequently hitched. His eyes fell from her face to her opposite hand which was locked at her side, hiding a series of bloodied bandages that wound around her small waist beneath her jacket.

"You're hurt, Petra," he murmured with concern, reaching for her.

Petra's eyes clouded over. "I-I'm fine. I didn't come as close to death as you." She squeezed his hand tightly. She took in a sharp breath. "I don't know what I would've done if you had died and I had lived. Not now, not now…"

Levi searched her eyes. "Is it… over?"

Despite the tears that were streaming down her flushed cheeks, Petra's smile beamed at him from both her lips and her shining eyes at his words. "Yes Captain, it's finally over. We can rest in peace now."

Levi let out a sigh and a noise that choked and fizzled in his throat. His chest fell and Petra curled against him as best she could without causing pain.

"This may be the end of the world, but I look forward to the coming dawn and what will come in these new beginnings."

Levi looked at her strangely but then sighed again. Perhaps she was right; maybe it was time to start thinking of the future instead of dreading it.


	3. Dawn

Chapter 2: Dawn

* * *

They stood at the edge of something humanity had not seen in centuries. The smell of salt and sea mist washed over them, tossing their hair and clinging to their faces. It truly was a sight to be seen, more than he ever imagined from the stories she told him from her mother. The water glistened like a bed of sapphires and diamonds and the sand was a sparkling white. Their boots crunched in the sand and their worn cloaks fluttered behind them like banners in the wind. They stood together like that for a while, just staring out at the azure waters and the tossing white waves. The sound filled their ears, drowning everything else out, yet it was calming. No words needed to be spoken regarding the majestic beauty they beheld.

Levi turned to glance at his companion, his subordinate, seeing her twist the hem of her apron anxiously. He needn't speak more than a few soft words, unheard over the sounds of the crashing waves but she understood. She always did. She gave him a fleeting grin that was so bright it rivaled glancing at the sun until she turned away, her golden hair flashing in the breeze. Like a child without a care in the world, Petra ran forward, kicking off her boots and pulling up her pants until she met the water. She let out a short yelp as the coldness hit her, but she cared little. Soon after she shrugged off her jacket and spread out her arms as if she were a bird, free as could be. Levi watched silently as she twirled around and let her golden hair tangle in the breeze. She seemed so happy, ecstatic even. The look she wore on her face was what he imagined to be that of a bride on the day of her wedding. He could almost picture it, except she was dressed not in a soiled military uniform but a flowing white dress with ribbons in her hair. Although the ocean was magnificent, Levi still considered Petra to be an even more beautiful sight with her hair like sunlight and eyes like golden honey. Levi shook his head, erasing the vision from his mind. It would do him no good to become disillusioned by comparing her to a bride in this moment.

Levi could hear the sound of horses in the distance, soon to catch up with them. Petra turned to him, holding out her hand, gesturing to him. Reluctantly Levi walked towards her with with no intention of going in the water. She graciously took his hand and slowly led him into the surf. He still had his boots on. The back of his neck prickled from the chill of the wind off the water and from the worry of _they'll be here soon, they'll surely see_ , but Petra's grip reassured him and her gaze put him at ease. It seemed to say, _don't worry, it's all over, just relax._ And so he let his head fall against hers so that her ginger hair tickled his face and her arm wrapped around his waist, supporting him. Her breaths were slow and even, relaxed as they stood, entwined and soaking in the other's presence. Even Levi could not help taking in a long, deep breath, letting the fresh sea breeze fill his lungs.

Looking out at the stretch of ocean, it seemed symbolic in a way. They could no see past what lay before them. The blue horizon was so far away, and yet just barely visible. Everything seemed foggy but he knew that it would all be revealed if they traveled out that way. It was like a metaphor for the future. Now that the fight against the titans was over, the future lay stretched out before them, ready for its waters to be tested.

"This is my last expedition," Levi said quietly, causing her to look at him in surprise. "I turned in the paperwork the other day. Erwin already approved it." Petra searched his eyes, trying to decipher his intentions. Levi sighed, breaking eye contact and looking out towards the clear blue horizon. "There's no need for soldiers like us anymore. They don't need heroes or fucking champions with no battle to fight. I served my time, and there's no need for me."

Petra's gaze hardened at his words. "So you're leaving?" His only response was silence. Her grasp on him tightened. "What are you going to do? Where will you go?"

Levi made a noncommittal grunt, like he was resisting shrugging. They continued to stand there quietly for a few moments longer with the breeze the only discernible noise. Levi swallowed hard, his throat suddenly very dry.

"Do you remember that conversation we had the night before the 55th expedition?"

Petra turned to look at him, her eyes wide. "Captain?"

Levi's eyes flickered down to his boots, washed with sand and seawater. "You said if we made it out of this war you'd want to settle down and have a house in the countryside, perhaps by the ocean if we made it there."

Petra was rendered speechless. She couldn't believe he remembered that. "I- yes, I did say that, Captain. But what do you-"

"You also once said that you would devote yourself completely to your captain. You even wrote your father about it." Petra's face blushed red, extremely embarrassed. Levi put his hand firmly on her shoulder, his face stern. "So my question is: what are _you_ going to do after this?"

Petra stood stock-still, petrified at the implications of what he asked her. Did he just ask her if…? Blinking herself out of her stupor, the fire returned to her eyes as she pushed back against him. "That was a real shitty way of asking if I would follow you, even outside of the military." She glared at him, challenging him to counter her. Levi rolled his eyes at her antics. He always found himself drawn into her fiery feistiness while simultaneously attracted to her bashfulness.

Petra grabbed his wrist and slowly brought his hand from her shoulder so that it hovered over her heart. "You're a fool to even question what I vowed all those years ago," she murmured.

Levi scoffed. "I'm a fool for falling in love with a subordinate of mine." Their eyes locked, the air around them almost vibrating from the tension.

"You l-"

"Will you follow me into a new life, not as a subordinate, but as an-" Lei hesitated, the word caught on the roof of his mouth. "Equal?"

Petra's breath hitched and her heartbeat immediately accelerated beneath his hand. Levi's lips twisted into the faintest of smirks. Just as she opened her mouth to respond there came a shout behind them. The rest of the party had caught up to them. The sound of footsteps reached their ears and several voices called out for him. None of them were aware that once they returned to the rest of civilization behind the walls, he would no longer be their captain. Before they broke apart Petra grasped the lapel of his jacket and leaned forward to whisper into his ear.

"Yes." Levi shivered, not from the heat of her breath but from the profoundness of her answer.

Petra turned around, going to retrieve her jacket and boots. She tossed her jacket over her shoulder and looked back at her captain, still standing like a statue, the water quietly washing over his feet. He looked at peace.

"You needn't ever ask, Captain."


End file.
